Why was Puerto Rico Vulnerable Flashcards
Geographical Location - Where is Puerto Rico located?
Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer.
What is this area prone to?
Hurricanes.
When is this region especially prone to hurricanes?
During the June to November Hurricane season.
Where in the Caribbean is Puerto Rico located?
In the Northeastern Caribbean?
What about this location makes it particularly vulnerable to hurricanes?
Puerto Rico’s position in the Northeastern Caribbean puts it in the direct path of many of the storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean off the West coast of Africa.
What is the relevance of Puerto Rico being north of the equator? Why does this add to its vulnerability to hurricanes?
Puerto Rico’s position is sufficiently north of the equator for the Coriolis effect to create the spin required for hurricane formation.
Explain the Coriolis effect?
Because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
What else about Puerto Rico’s geographic position makes it vulnerable to hurricanes? (Hint: Think about its position in the ocean and where the coast of Africa is)
By the time hurricanes that form in the Atlantic reach Puerto Rico they have spent many days over warm tropical waters getting stronger.
Can Puerto Rico face more than 1 hurricane in a year?
Yes, in hurricane season Puerto Rico can be faced with more than one hurricane in a short period.
Does this fact make it particularly vulnerable to hurricanes? And, if so, how?
Yes. When Hurricane Maria landed in Puerto Rico it had just experienced Hurricane Irma 2 weeks earlier so had already suffered hurricane related damage and relief efforts were already underway.
What is it about the waters that surround Puerto Rico that make it vulnerable to hurricanes?
The surrounding Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean have very warm waters during hurricane season.
How warm are these waters?
They are often above 26.5 degrees celsius, which is one of the conditions required for hurricane formation.
How do warm waters above 26.5 degrees celsius assist hurricane formation?
Warm waters act as fuel for hurricanes.
